Pittsford, Waldron ousted in district semis

Thursday

Mar 7, 2013 at 10:00 AM

By Ed Patinoed.patino@hillsdale.netPITTSFORD — A pair of Lenawee County teams provided a roadblock for the Pittsford and Waldron High School boys basketball teams.Both teams saw their seasons come to an end Wednesday in the Class D district semifinals. The host Wildcats were unable to hold off a second half flurry and fell 61-51 to the Lenawee Christian Cougars. Waldron fell into an early hole in a 56-35 loss to the Morenci Bulldogs.Lenawee Christian (17-3) and Morenci will face off in Friday's district final at Pittsford High School.Facing a team that won 15 district titles in the last 16 years, Pittsford (17-4) went toe-to-toe with Lenawee Christian in the first half and led by two at the intermission. The Cougars took control with a 16-3 run to open the third quarter and held off the Wildcats down the stretch."They really came on with renewed energy in the third quarter and we couldn't match it," Pittsford coach Mike Burger said. "We righted the ship after that and played even with them, but we dug ourselves too big of a hole."The first half saw the teams exchange big runs. The Wildcats busted a 3-3 tie with 10 consecutive points in the first quarter. A jumper by Kyle Elston and two layups by Josh Vance lifted Pittsford to a 13-3 lead.LCS stormed back in the second quarter with the first 10 points of the frame. Brad Harrah hit an off-balance 3-pointer and Jalen Porter tipped in a rebound, giving the Cougars a 14-13 lead. Vance answered with a missile of his own, then the teams exchanged baskets and the lead for the next five minutes. Harrah gave LCS a two-point lead with a driving basket, but a putback by Andy Houser and a jumper from Luke Smith in the final minute gave the Wildcats a 24-22 lead at halftime."The guys were ready to play and wanted this game, and we did what we needed to do to stay with them," Burger said. "It was an unbelievable environment to play in tonight."Momentum shifted to the Cougars at the start of the third quarter. Alex Nichols hit back-to-back 3-pointers, then Grant Hohlbein added two inside baskets. Bobby Walter threw down a one-handed dunk, giving LCS a 34-24 lead.Kyler Lee and Elston each buried a 3-pointer to bring Pittsford to within six, but Hohlbein and Porter answered in the paint to up the Cougars' lead to 10. Lee sank another missile in the final minute of the quarter, pulling the Wildcats to within 42-35 entering the fourth quarter.Walter delivered a two-handed dunk early in the fourth quarter, and LCS maintained a double-digit lead for most of the frame. Pittsford fought back to within with over a minute remaining, but the Cougars sealed the game with free throws.Vance scored 22 points to lead the Wildcats. Andy Houser had seven points and 11 rebounds, while Kyler Lee finished with six points and four steals."These kids will go on to be great adults and it's been a privilege to coach," Burger said. "Vance is a tremendous point guard and Lee has really grown up the last three years."Hohlbein finished with 24 points to lead LCS. Harrah added 14 points, while Porter scored nine points. Walter finished with eight points.Morenci's speed gave Waldron (7-14) trouble for most of the night as the Bulldogs built a 44-25 lead after three quarters. Morenci gradually increased its lead early in the fourth until the Spartans matched baskets down the stretch."The guys played hard every night, just some nights we don't score and that was one of these nights," Waldron coach Mark Long said. "I have a good group and the guys never quit. Morenci was just faster and had better shooters tonight."Levi Long finished with 13 points to lead the Spartans. James Champion added 11 points, while senior Michael Caskey scored seven points."Both Levi and James are coming back, which is a good thing," Mark Long said. "James improved a lot as a freshman."Hayze Wolf had 16 points to lead Morenci. Austin Thomas added 15 points, while Dalton Lemmon had eight points. Austin Sandusky finished with seven points.Class D district at LitchfieldThe Will Carleton Academy boys basketball team took control in the second half and pulled out a 50-45 victory over the Litchfield Terriers in the Class D district semifinal Wednesday.Will Carleton advanced to play Hillsdale Academy in Friday's district final, while Litchfield (6-15) saw its season come to an end.The teams played to a 19-19 tie at halftime. The Cougars took over in the third, outscoring Litchfield 13-6. The teams matched baskets in the fourth quarter, but Will Carleton hung on for the win.Joel Wheeler scored 25 points to lead the Cougars, while Chase Harrington added seven points.Devin Conley finished with 32 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Terriers. Colt Tefft had 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Kitcimakwa Williams scored two points.

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